CJ 15 
.A617 
1864 
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CONSTITUTION 



BY-LAW! 

OF THE 

AMERICAN NUMISMATIC 



ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



FOUNDED 1857. 



NEW-YORK: 

TORREY BROTHERS, PRINTERS, EMPIRE STEAM PRINTING ESTABLISHMENT, 

No. 13 Spruck Streki. 

1864. 



THE UBfcAtTI 

OFCOMOEEM 

WASHINGTON I 



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OFFICERS ELECTED MARCH 11, 1864. 



FRANK H. NORTON (Astor Library,) .... President. 
Dr. GEO. H. PERINE (6 E. 22d St.) . . 1st Vice-President. 

ISAAC J. GREENWOOD Jr., (142 W. 14th St.) 2d " 
JAMES OLIVER (94 Grand St.) . . . Recording Secretary. 
F. AUG. WOOD (68 E. 17th St.) . . Corresponding " 
JOHN HANNA (264 W. 29th St.) .... Treasurer. 
EDWARD GROH (30 Rose St.) . . Librarian and Curator. 



CONSTITUTION. 



AETIOLE I. 

This Association shall be known as the "American 
Numismatic and Archaeological Society." 

AKTICLE II. 

It shall be the province of this Society to investigate the 
subjects of coins and medals, to collect specimens, to popu- 
larize the science of numismatology, and to impart such 
information to the public concerning these and kindred 
topics as may be desired, and in its power to afford. 

It shall also collect, examine, and elucidate the antiquities 
of this and other countries, to the end that, in so far as lies 
within its power, those landmarks of preceding ages shall be 
carried down to the end of time, with their full meaning 
eliminated, and their full usefulness as sources of history 
preserved to them. 

And, whenever it shall be so resolved, the Society shall 
lay before the public, for its interest or instruction, such facts 
as may have been obtained in the pursuance of these objects, 
and in such manner as may be devised. 



CONSTITUTION. 



ARTICLE III 



Membership of this Society shall be of three classes — 
Resident, Corresponding, and Honorary. 

Propositions for resident membership shall be made in 
writing by resident members of the Society, in good stand- 
ing, and shall in all cases be accompanied by the initiation 
fee, and dues for six months. Such propositions shall be 
acted upon at the meeting next succeeding that at which 
they are made. Elections shall be by ballot, three black 
balls excluding from membership. No person so excluded 
can be again proposed until six months after the date of his 
nomination, and no one twice black-balled can ever become 
a member of the Society. 

Resident members alone shall be entitled to vote or to 
hold office, and any person residing within twenty-five miles 
of New York city shall be eligible to resident membership. 

Corresponding members may be elected viva voce at any 
regular meeting of the Society, on nomination by a resident 
member in good standing. They shall not be required to 
pay initiation fee or dues, but will be charged a fee for Certi- 
ficate of Membership, not to exceed at any time the sum of 
Five Dollars. 

They will also be expected to correspond with the Cor- 
responding Secretary of the Society, at intervals not exceed- 
ing three months, on topics relating to the objects for which 
the Society is established. 

Honorary members may be proposed at any regular meet- 
ing, and elected at the meeting following. Every such elec- 
tion must be unanimous. There shall not be at one time 
more than fifty honorary members of this Society, of which 
number the Director of the Mint shall at all times be counted 
ex officio as one. 

All members shall be entitled to admission to the rooms 
of the Society, and, on application to the Curator, to inspec- 
tion of its property. Any member may introduce a friend 
at any except special meetings. 



CONSTITUTION. 



AKTICLE IV. 



The officers of this Society shall comprise a President, 
two Yice-Presidents, Kecording Secretary, Corresponding 
Secretary, Treasurer, Curator, and Librarian. They shall be 
elected annually, by ballot, at the last meeting in March. 

AKTICLE Y. 

This Society shall possess a Seal and Certificate of Mem- 
bership. 

AKTICLE VI. 

All donations in money, and all money received from life 
members, must be invested by the Treasurer, under the di- 
rection of the Society, and every donation of money, to the 
amount of more than Fifty Dollars, shall be funded in the 
name of the donor. The money thus in zested will consti- 
tute a permanent fund, of which only the interest can be 
expended. 

ARTICLE VII. 

m No resident member of this Society shall be considered in 
good standing whose dues shall have been in arrears for 
more than six months, and the name of any member whose 
account with the Society shall have remained unsettled 
longer than a year shall be stricken from the rolls, and he 
shall be considered to have forfeited his membership. 

AKTICLE VIII. 

By-laws for the further regulation of this Society shall 
be enacted from time to time, as they may appear to be 
required. 

ARTICLE IX. 

All questions involving the expenditure of money must, 
on being returned with the approval of the Finance Com- 



6 CONSTITUTION. 

mittee, receive a two- third vote of all the members present 
or the same shall be lost. Such questions, however, may be 
carried over the negative report of the Committee by the 
same vote. 

AETICLE X. 

This Constitution shall not be altered or amended except 
by consent of three-fourths of the resident members of the 
Society, on the request of one-third of all the resident mem- 
bers, submitted one month previous to any vote being taken 
thereupon. 



BY-LAWS. 



CHAPTER I. 

OF OFFICERS. 

1st. The President shall preside at all meetings of the 
Society, shall decide all points of order, subject to appeal, 
and shall have a casting vote. He shall appoint all Com- 
mittees authorized by the Society, unless otherwise specially 
ordered. 

In the absence of the President, his position shall be sup- 
plied by one of the Vice-Presidents, or in their absence by a 
chairman appointed pro tempore, on whom shall devolve all 
the duties of the office. 

At the annual meeting, on the second Thursday in April, 
the retiring President shall address the Society, embodying 
in his remarks a summary of the reports of the other officers, 
and such other matters as he shall deem worthy the con- 
sideration of the Society. 

In deciding all questions not otherwise specially provided 
for in the Constitution and By-Laws, the President shall be 
governed by the rulings as laid down in Jefferson's Manual. 

2d. The Recording Secretary shall take and preserve 
exact minutes of the proceedings of each meeting of the So- 
ciety, which he shall, on approval and adoption, cause to be 



8 BY-LAWS. 

copied into a book devoted to that purpose. He shall notify 
all new members of their election, all resident members of the 
time for meetings, and all Committees of their appointment. 
He shall also keep the original Constitution and By-Laws of 
the Society, with the List of Members appended, taking note 
of all resignations and other changes which may occur, and 
recording them in their proper place. 

3d. The Corresponding Secretary shall conduct the 
correspondence of the Society, keeping the originals of the 
letters received and copies of his own replies in books 
prepared for the purpose. He shall acknowledge all dona- 
tions by letter, and shall report his transactions at each 
meeting of the Society, and in an annual report at the 
last meeting in March. 

4th. The Treasurer shall receive and take charge of all 
the funds of the Society, and shall make all collections and 
payments of money. He shall also have charge of the Seal of 
the Society, and of the Certificates of Membership, which he 
shall have filled up, signed, sealed, and forwarded to mem- 
bers. He shall make no payments of money belonging to 
the Society, except on an order from the President, counter- 
signed by the Chairman of the Finance Committee, and 
shall retain written vouchers of all such payments made, 
and submit the same to the Society at the last meeting in 
March in each year, when he shall make an exact report of 
the financial condition of the Society, and hand over all 
monies, books, and documents in his possession to his suc- 
cessor in office. 

5th. The Curator shall receive all donations and pur-, 
chases of coins and antiquities, shall compile an accurate 
Catalogue of the same, with names of donors, cost, and other 
information concerning them; and shall keep the same in 
order and safety. He shall at all times afford free access to 
the Collection and the Catalogue to all members of the 
Society, and shall make an annual report to the Society of 
the condition of the same at the last meeting in March. He 



BY-LAWS. 9 

shall also make occasional special reports, from time to time 
as the interests of the Society may demand, on call of the 
President. 

6th. The Librarian shall take charge of all books belong- 
ing to the Society, affording the members free access to the 
same and to the Catalogue of them, which he shall cause to 
be compiled He shall report the condition of the Library 
to the Society at the last meeting in March. 



CHAPTEE II. 

OF COMMITTEES. 

1st. The Standing Committees of this Society shall com 
prise as follows : : 

A Committee of three on American Coins and Medals. 

" " Foreign " " 

" " American Archaeology. 

" " Foreign " 

" " Library and Transactions. 

" " Autographs and Manuscripts. 

" " Paper Money. 

" " Finance. 



They shall be appointed by the President at the next 
meeting following his election. 

2d. To these Committees, excepting that on Finance, shall 
be referred all questions belonging to their several depart- 
ments, and they shall, in all cases, report on such questions 
at the earliest convenient moment, or furnish satisfactory 
excuse to the Society for non-compliance with this rule. 

Besides the above, the President may, from time to time, 
appoint Special Committees- to consider special questions, 
and such Committees shall report at their earliest conve- 
nience, and on their report being accepted shall be dismissed 
from further consideration of the subject before them. 



10 BY-LAWS. 

3d. To the Committee on Finance shall be submitted all 
questions comprehending disbursement of money. They 
shall audit all accounts against the Society, and also the ac- 
count of the Treasurer as presented in his annual report, 
and shall report at the first meetings in April, July, October, 
and January, respectively, the existing financial condition of 
the Society, its assets and liabilities. The Chairman of the 
Finance Committee shall countersign all orders on the 
Treasurer for money. 

CHAPTER III. 

ON INITIATION FEES, ANNUAL DUES, ETC. 

1st. The Initiation Fee of persons elected resident mem- 
bers of this Society shall be Five Dollars, and the Annual 
Dues shall be Five Dollars, payable semi-annually at the 
first meetings in April and October. Any one elected be- 
tween those meetings shall pay Fifty Cents per month until 
the semi-annual meeting next succeeding his election. 

2d. Any member paying the sum of Thirty Dollars, at 
any one time, into the Treasury of the Society, may become 
a life member. 

3d. Corresponding members shall be charged a fee for 
Certificate of Membership of Five Dollars. 

4th. Resident members will be entitled to a Certificate of 
Membership on paying Two Dollars, and honorary members 
without cost. 

CHAPTER IY. 

OF MEETINGS. 

1st. There shall be regular meetings of the Society held 
on the second and fourth Thursdays in each month, at 
which five shall constitute a quorum, and of which due 
notice shall be served on each member by the Recording 
Secretary. 



BY-LAWS. 11 

2d. At the quarterly meetings on the second Thursday in 
July, October, and January, the report of the Finance Com- 
mittee shall take precedence over all miscellaneous business. 
At the annual meeting, on the fourth Thursday in March, 
the reports of the Treasurer, Corresponding Secretary, and 
Librarian shall take precedence of all miscellaneous business, 
and all reports»of officers and Committees shall be uniform in 
style, and shall be bound with the President's address at the • 
end of each year, becoming the archives of the Society. 
Also the regular payments of dues shall be made at the first 
meetings in April and October respectively. 

3d. Special meetings may be called by the President, or 
at the request of any three other officers of the Society. 

4th. At all regular meetings of the Society the hour of 
meeting shall be half-past 7 o'clock. 

5th. During the summer months the Society may adjourn 
over to such time as shall be decided by a majority at a 
regular meeting. 



CHAPTER V. 

OF TRANSACTIONS. 

1st. At the regular meetings on the second ThursdcTy s of 
February, April, June, October, and December, a paper shall 
be read by a member of the Society on some topic of inter- 
est . to the Society, the reader to be designated by the Presi- 
dent at the last preceding meeting. 

i 2d. These papers shall be handed over to the Committee 
on Transactions, by whom, at the end of the year, a selection 
shall be made from time to time, and, with a selection from 
the reports, and the proceedings of the Society, they shall, on 
demand of the Society, be published as an annual volume of 
transactions. 



12 BY-LAWS. 

CHAPTER VI. 

OF BUSINESS. 

1st. The order of business at regular meetings shall be as 

follows : 

1. List of members present recorded and read by the 
Recording Secretary. 

2. Minutes of the last regular meeting read and approved. 

3. Reports of Standing Committees. 

4. Reports of Special Committees. 

5. Unfinished business. 

6. Donations received and recorded. 

7. Written communications read by Corresponding Secre- 
tary. 

8. Yerbal communications. 

9. New members elected. 

10. Miscellaneous business — reading papers or addresses 
to take precedence. 

11. Adjournment. 

CHAPTER VII. 

OF ALTERATIONS OF THE BY-LAWS. 

1st. These By-Laws shall not be altered or amended, 
except by a two-thirds vote of all the members present at a 
regular meeting, the proposed alteration having been sub- 
mitted at a previous meeting in writing, and all the resident 
members having been notified of the same by the Recording 
Secretary. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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